Rail-bond.



T. M. UTLEY.

RAIL BOND.

APPLICATION FILED :uNE 20. I916.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917."

new and useful Improvements in Rail I as other.

THOMAS M. UTLEY, OF SUPERIOR, WYOMING.

BAIL-BOND Application filed. June 20, 1916. Serial No. 104,788.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. UTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior, in the county. of Sweetwater and State of VVyoIniug, have invented certain Bonds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rail bonds and has for its object more particularly to provide a simple, efficient and reliable rail bond capable of maintaining good electrical contact between the rail and the bonding conductor at all times and proof against jar and vibration.

To the attainment of the aforesaid object the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure '1 is a transverse vertical section through a rail to which the invention isapplied.

Fig. 2 is a side view on a larger scale and partly in section, of the channeled bolt and bonding conductor in place in the channel.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the adjacent ends of two rails to which the invention is applied, one of the channeled bolts being shown in section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates the channeled bolt as a whole, which consists of a shank 11 having threads 12 at one end and a head 13 at the This head is preferably elongated as shown to prevent it from turning past the foot of the rail. A continuous groove or channel 14 is formed in the shank and along the inner face of the head to take the bonding conductor or. bond wire 15, the channel being of sufficient depth in the shank to permit the bond wire 15 to pass with the shank into the bore 16 in the web of the rails 17 or 18, while the portion of the channel in the-inner face of the head is preferably extended in the line of elongation thereof so that the bonding wire may extend from the bolt head to the next rail in a substantially straight line as shown in the drawings, thus avoiding abrupt bends.

The bolt and bend wire are held in plavc in the web, as shown in Fig. 3, by the nut 19,

' nut. the inner which threads onto the bolt shank over the threads 12 against the tension of a compression spring 20 situated on the bolt shank 11 between the web of the rail and the nut 19. One end of this spring is extended at 21 latter-ally of the bolt shank to engage either the head or foot of the rail and prevent the spring from turning. while the other end is provided with a suitable lock lug 22 adapted to engage with the nut 19 through a depression or notch 23 therein,' the spring when so arranged acting to lock the nut and exert a tension on the bolt to draw and hold the inner face of the head 13, and withit the portion 24 of the bonding conductor '15, in contact with the web of the rail.

By tightening the nut 19, the tension on the bolt shank may be made suflicient to more or less COIIIPIQ$ or mash the bond wire into intimate contact with the'metalof the web to insure good electrical contact, the resiliency of the spring 20 allowing for certain small variations in dimensions due to temperature changes and vibration without an appreciable reduction of the tension between the contacting parts.

While I have herein shown and described my invention as applied to the bonding of rails, it is "to bounderstood that its use is not to be limited to such, but may be used Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 28, 191?.

so J

as a means for bonding electrical conductors generally such as bus bars, battery elements, etc. do not limit myself to the specific fol-inherein shown but contemplate all such variations as fall within the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what It is further .to be understood that I.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is: 4

1. An electrical bond for abutting conductors comprising a pair of bolts and. a bonding wire or cable connecting them, each boltpassing through a perforation in one of theconductors and having a T-head lying on one side thereof anda nut threaded upon its shank on the othe'r'side, the inner face of the T-head having a longitudinal groove continued down the shan sort to receive the end of the bonding wire, and a spring helix having a plumntg of turns surrounding the shank of the. bolt be tween the body crmductor and lit helix angst so as to pre ."2 and the outer and 5:

the Eli of the the helix positively engaging the nut so as to simultaneously force it outward and to prevent its turning on the bolt.

2. A rail joint including a mechanical connecting means for the abutting ends of a pair of rails, and a bond extending around and supplementing the mechanical connecting means comprising the following instrumentalities; a pair of T-headed bolts extending through perforations in the opposite rail ends and carrying nuts, the head and shank of each bolt being provided with a continuous longitudinal groove, a bonding conductor having its ends lying in said grooves, and a helical spring surrounding each bolt between the nut and the rail body, said spring exerting a constant tension outwardly against the nut so as to maintain the T-head and the bonding conductor at all times in strong but yielding engagement with the rail body.

3. A connector terminal for bonding conductors and the like comprising a T-headed bolt with a groove extending longitudinally along one arm of the T and down the shank of the bolt to receive the end of the con ductor, the inner face of the T being flat so as to lie flush against the face of the conductor with which it is used and the diameter of the groove being such as to pro duce a slight projection of the conductor beyond said flush surface, a nut on the bolt and a helical spring of more than one turn surrounding the bolt beneath the nut with a projection on one end engaging a shoul dcr on the nut, and with its other end extended tangentially to form a lever anchorage, said spring having sullicient tension to hold the T-head and bonding conductor in good contact at all times, and simultaneously to resist any tendency of the nut to back ofl'.

4. A connecting terminal for a bonding conductor at the abutting ends of a pair of T-rails of standard section comprising a T- headed bolt extending through the web of the rail with a groove extending longitudinally in the inner face of one arm of the T-head and down the shank of the bolt to receive the end of the conductor, a nut threaded on the bolt 011 the opposite side of the rail web from the T-head and provided with a shoulder on its inner face, and a belical spring completely encircling the shank of the bolt beneath the nut with its outer end formed to engage the shoulder on the nut and its inner end extended tangentially to the bolt through a snfiicient length to engage the head or foot of the rail and prevent turning of the spring and nut, while maintaining a constant spring tension on the nut and thereby drawing the T-head and the end of the bonding conductor into constant but yielding contact with the rail \veb substantially unaffected by pounding and vibration of the joint.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

THOMAS M. UT LEY. 

